The Gilliam Writers Group is not in the business of peddling overly abstract advice – the kind unqualified professionals use as a smokescreen for missing knowledge. Instead, we're committed to providing actionable, practical feedback that helps every client become a better writer, no matter their training or goals. 

To this end, we believe that a creative writing coach should offer not only technical support, but a collaborative, participatory learning experience, to each individual they work with. The interactive, growth-oriented nature of this service is what distinguishes writing coaching from editing; while editing is (primarily) asynchronous, coaching calls for real-time human connection. While editing is product-focused, coaching attends equally to the writer, their product, and their process of production. 

Accordingly, GWG’s poetry coaches and tutors take a hands-on approach to our clients’ writing. Meeting on Zoom and Google Docs simultaneously allows us to engage with written text in a uniquely tactile, organic way; using shared digital documents, we can shift seamlessly between dialogue and demonstration, idea and experiment, critique and revision. The virtual environment introduces an unprecedented level of immediacy into the workshopping process, enabling us to intervene in a client’s output at nearly the speed of thought. 

Practically speaking, this means our poetry writing coaches can mark up your work with you live on video, demystifying editorial techniques. It means we can observe your writing process in real time and provide actionable pointers on technique. It means we can instantly demonstrate the skills we want you to learn — all without the awkwardness of peering over each other’s shoulders or passing notebooks back and forth. 

If you’re still feeling uncertain (or excited!) about the logistics of one-on-one poetry classes online, we invite you to schedule a consultation call. A representative from our company’s leadership team will be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Whether you’re an unhurried beginner interested in learning to write poetry, a deadline-facing author who needs to find a poetry editor ASAP, or a devoted hobbyist seeking a few months of online poetry lessons, we hope you’ll consider building a long-term creative partnership with your GWG poetry writing coach. Why? Because the longer you work with a writing coach, the more impactful their insight becomes. A coach’s most valuable assets – nuanced interpersonal awareness, an intuitive grasp of clients’ evolving skill sets, and deep familiarity with their work – just aren’t available off-the-shelf. 

These layers of comprehension take time to emerge, relying as they do on data from months and even years of regular meetings. As time passes and the client-coach relationship deepens, this data becomes understanding, and informs our work as creative writing coaches in countless beneficial ways. We rely on the long process of trial and error to gain perspective on which interventions lead to the greatest improvements in a given client’s writing, for example, or which strategies most consistently mitigate their writer’s block. The more thoroughly we know our clients as individuals, the more precisely and impactfully we can apply our expertise to their writing. 

Many of our senior faculty members have met with the same clients weekly for years; in fact, several of GWG’s very first customers are still active in our community today. Long-term collaboration is a core value of the Gilliam Writers Group, foundational to both the sustainability of our business and the quality of our services. Especially when it comes to poetry coaching, time – or rather, the patience to exploit it – is of the essence.

The Gilliam Writers Group faculty is composed of highly trained writers, expert editors, and passionate teachers of the art and science of poetry. Scroll through our team page and you’ll see graduate degrees in writing and literature from the country’s top MFA and PhD programs; years of professional experience in the publishing industry, media, and education; and strong track records of literary publication. 

Writing by our faculty and emeritus faculty appears in top publications including Granta, The Southern Review, The New York Times, Tin House, Vice, A Public Space, AGNI, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Al Jazeera, Michigan Quarterly Review, The Sun, The Cincinnati Review, American Poetry Review, The Common, Los Angeles Review of Books, Ploughshares, and more.

Before hiring an online poetry writing coach through the Gilliam Writers Group, we invite you to request a writing sample from their portfolio. That way, you can experience for yourself the exceptional combination of talent and training our team has to offer.

Looking to develop your poetry writing skills? The Gilliam Writers Group offers personalized online poetry coaching to help you achieve your creative goals. Whether you're writing for personal interest, publication, performance, or anything else, a poetry writing coach can help. 

Perhaps you want to explore new poetic forms and styles, or you want to push yourself to write more consistently. Our coaches can collaborate with you to create a custom curriculum emphasizing your specific needs and interests. In one-on-one virtual meetings, your poetry writing coach will deliver detailed feedback on your work, offer responsive writing prompts, and guide you through various aspects of the writing process. We also provide comprehensive instruction on foundational techniques such as meter, structure, and imagery, giving you the tools you need to craft more compelling, more meaningful poems. Our coaches offer some of the best online poetry courses available; just see what our clients have to say!

For clients seeking to deepen their self-understanding, poetry coaching can be an especially valuable experience. Poetry connects us with our internal reality in a way that few other forms of writing can. It facilitates contemplation and reverie, filling our waking mind with the language and logic of dreams; by relinquishing conventional, linear thought patterns, the poet gains access to otherwise subconscious depths of wisdom. A skilled poetry writing coach can guide you through this process. With their support, you’ll explore new avenues of expression in pursuit of self-awareness and personal growth. To find a poetry mentor capable of facilitating both self-exploration and rigorous literary instruction, look no further than the Gilliam Writers Group. 

Our online poetry coaches also work with writers who are seeking to publish their work. Whether you’re an aspiring poet looking to submit your work to literary journals or a seasoned author intent on honing your submission strategies, our faculty can advise you and critique your writing. We’ll provide expert guidance on the submission process in all its glorious tedium, including researching markets, crafting effective cover letters, and formatting your work for submission. We can also help you revise any pieces that aren’t accepted, introducing you to new editorial strategies. Once you’ve worked with us, you’ll be able to confidently submit your poems for publication, time and time again. As they say, teach someone to fish…

Not keen on getting published? Our poetry coaching service is also great for clients who just want to write for fun. Maybe it’s Valentine’s Day, and you want to craft a poem for your loved one. Maybe it’s been a tough week, and you’d like to process your emotions in a thoughtful, cathartic way. Maybe your kids are driving you nuts, and you need a little “me-time” in which to pursue your own interests. Writing poetry is a great way to de-stress, gain perspective on life, or channel some pent-up creativity. Whatever your goals for exploring this literary form, our poetry coaches are here to help you fulfill them. 

So – if you need hands-on poetry help online, from lessons in the basics of craft to professional editorial feedback, then GWG is the firm for you. To learn more about poetry coaching or our custom online poetry writing courses, please reach out to schedule a no-cost consultation call with a representative from our leadership team. Though our services are almost exclusively virtual, any client interested in setting up a poetry writing class near you should contact us with the relevant details. In a limited number of cases, we may be able to organize sessions in New York City, where many of our coaches live.

Given the time and effort it takes to produce one quality poem (even a very short one), it’s easy to feel daunted by the prospect of writing a full-length poetry collection. In poetry, there are no shortcuts – writing in this literary form requires focus, contemplation, and patience. Add to that the subsequent demands of manuscript editing and arrangement, and even the most experienced poets may find themselves reeling from the scale of the project. For beginners, the doubt can be paralyzing. 

Technical inexperience, excessive self-critique, trouble with habit formation, a tendency to procrastinate, short-term thinking – these are just a few of the many (conquerable) obstacles that prevent perfectly capable writers from starting – and finishing – ambitious poetry manuscripts. What a loss for the reading public! Luckily, the Gilliam Writers Group has a solution – one we’ve seen succeed time and time again. Our faculty has supported countless poets, from hobbyists to published professionals, and we have found that regardless of a client’s training or experience, regular meetings with a poetry writing coach can significantly ease the process of planning, drafting, and editing a new collection or chapbook. 

Make of these meetings what you will. Some clients seek structured, linear guidance as they piece together their manuscript; their coaching process might resemble a series of poetry classes online, weekly tutorials in which they learn and practice new skils. Other clients prefer a more open-ended format, approaching each meeting not as a formal “poetry writing class” but an editorial scrum, a back-and-forth critique in which client and coach pursue new ideas organically. If you want the structure of a custom online poetry course, your writing coach will consult with you on the course’s aims, trajectory, and focus areas. If you’re more interested in workshop-style feedback or developmental editing for your manuscript (delivered in regular weekly or bi-weekly meetings), our coaches can provide that as well. 

You do not need a full manuscript, or the rough drafts of several poems, or even a basic unifying concept, to work with a poetry writing coach on your collection or chapbook. All you need is the desire to write creatively and a willingness to engage in the coaching process. If you’re looking for a long-term poetry mentor who can help you see an ambitious project through, you’ve come to the right place.

Please note that writing coaching takes place live on Zoom and Google Docs. Although most of our work is virtual, the Gilliam Writers Group may be able to offer poetry classes near you – especially if you live in New York City. To discuss options for a private poetry writing class near you, please contact us. For more information on our asynchronous poetry editing services, refer to our Editing page or read the relevant section below. We’d be happy to connect you with an online poetry editor for your manuscript.

Poetry can be intimidating to read and write, especially for newcomers. All too often, and especially in the United States, popularly held beliefs about poetry’s “abstractness” or “inaccessibility” prevent people from experiencing its many wonders: the mind-broadening mysteries, freedoms, and ways of knowing that this ancient form of writing preserves for us. With guidance from a poetry writing tutor, you’ll gain the skill and confidence to explore this rich corner of our literary heritage, and through it, your own inner world. Whatever your motivations, our modern poetry tutoring service can help. 

At the Gilliam Writers Group, we believe that every writer stands to benefit – often in far-reaching and unexpected ways – from learning to write poetry, especially if they’ve never committed to trying it before. That’s why we offer one-on-one poetry tutoring to beginners of all ages and backgrounds; in our experience, the joys of creativity and intellectual growth do not diminish, but deepen with time. We love working with students in every stage of life, and invest just as much energy in our poetry classes for adults as we do in those for our younger students. 

What is the difference, then, between poetry “tutoring” and poetry “coaching”? Poetry tutoring differs from writing coaching in that it is geared toward novices, ambitious beginners whose primary aim is to learn how to write poetry (rather than to produce more work, build on preexisting skills, or simply have fun – the three most common goals of our coaching clients). Sessions with a poetry tutor are therefore more structured and pedagogical in nature, often taking the form of beginner poetry lessons centered on a predetermined curriculum of academic-style assignments and readings.

For instance, one of our modern poetry tutors (“modern” as in the literary period) might organize a historically informed free-verse practicum, with units covering techniques used by Walt Whitman and other transcendentalists; by modernist poets such as Ezra Pound and T.S. Eliot; by the Beat Generation of Alan Ginsburg and his contemporaries; and by prominent 21st-century poets including Courtney Lamar Charleston, Louise Glück, and Amanda Gorman.

Most of our students find that poetry is a deeply rewarding addition to their lives. Poetry teaches us that as creative writers, our talent for verbal description is both a priceless gift and a limiting compulsion. To start conveying more in fewer words, we have to cultivate patience, self-awareness, and a playful, open attitude toward language. Most of all, we have to practice; in creative writing, theory is useless without the repetition that turns it into instinct. This is where formal training comes in handy. A qualified English poetry tutor can provide the instructional scaffolding you need to begin incorporating abstract literary concepts and techniques into your writing in a consistent, repeatable way. 

The Gilliam Writers Group is uniquely well-equipped to teach this kind of “praxis” (theory combined with practice). That’s because all of our poetry tutors are not only skilled instructors, but accomplished poets in their own right. GWG team members have published poetry in some of the most distinguished literary journals in the US and beyond, as well as in several major collections and anthologies (more every year). Our faculty’s extensive writing experience makes them singularly insightful teachers, mentors, and creative partners – especially when it comes to more cerebral forms of literature like poetry. 

Ready to strengthen your command of poetic techniques? Eager to improve your latest draft? Curious about one-on-one poetry lessons online? Let’s set up a conversation. No matter your level of experience, we’d love to discuss how our online poetry tutoring service can benefit you. Just click here or fill out the contact form below to book a no-cost, fifteen-minute consultation call with someone on the Gilliam Writers Group leadership team.

Are you a poet seeking fresh perspectives on your work? Or maybe you're a publisher who wants to find a poetry editor you can trust – someone capable of giving your newest anthology the subtle treatment it deserves. If you need high-quality revisions from a trained literary professional, look no further than GWG’s poetry editing services. Our experienced editors work with clients at every stage of the creative process, from conceptualizing and drafting to revising and publishing. 

Why choose editing over the other options listed on this page? Well, not every client has the time to invest in a poetry course online, or the need for a poetry writing coach or tutor. That's where our online poetry editors come in. While writing coaching takes place in real-time, editing occurs asynchronously; after consulting with you via email, text, or call, your editor will mark up your document and make notes independently, sticking to whatever timeline you’ve agreed upon beforehand. Because this service is product-focused (rather than person-focused) and light on clients’ schedules, it’s a convenient option for anyone who needs results without the commitment of regular meetings. 

Our poetry editors support a wide range of clients, including established poets seeking a critical eye, emerging poets hoping to hone their craft, and busy publishers looking for the right fit for their poetry publications. Browse GWG’s own list of publications, and you’ll see that many of our faculty members are accomplished poets themselves. At the Gilliam Writers Group, we believe that people who write poems are best-equipped to edit them. Why? Because doing so (and doing it well) requires more than informed appreciation – it requires intuitive, experiential knowledge of what it’s like to produce this finely calibrated form of literature. It's not just about maintaining stylistic cohesion, or ensuring a piece adheres to certain technical standards. It's about understanding the nuances of language, the rhythms of verse, and the impact a poem can have on its readers. 

When you hire a professional poetry editor who is also a poet, you're hiring someone who has cultivated a profound intuition for poetry’s power – and fragility. Someone who understands the challenges poets face when attempting to convey sophisticated emotions and ideas through language (so often a blunt tool), and who knows how to help you refine the body of your work without touching its soul. In our view, each poem under consideration, whether on its own or as part of a larger collection, deserves careful scrutiny during the critical process, which should attend – with caution – to even the slightest linguistic disharmonies.

Our online poetry editors are experts at this kind of meticulous, detail-oriented work, just as we are experts at making big-picture revisions. Whether you're looking to polish a single poem or revise a complete manuscript, our editors can bring your vision to life; we'll provide the focused attention and constructive feedback you need to take your writing to the next level, addressing everything from the structure and flow of your poem, to your use of imagery and metaphor, to subtle variations of tone and voice. 

If you're interested in speaking with a representative from our leadership team to learn more about our poetry editing services or find a poetry editor for your latest work, please click here or fill out the contact form below.

The Gilliam Writers Group faculty has experience in every major category of poetry, whether rhythmic, rhymed, both, or neither. We’re comfortable working in formal verse (consistent meter and rhyme scheme), blank verse (consistent meter but no rhyme scheme), and free verse (no strict meter or rhyme scheme). 

Furthermore, whatever your preferred genre, at least one professional on our team has either written it or supported an author who has. We read, write, and teach it all: lyric, epic, narrative, ode, elegiac, dramatic, experimental, classical, and beyond. 

Finally, our coaches or tutors can teach you how to write a poem in any traditional, historical, or regional form (including the sestina, ghazal, villanelle, haibun, sonnet, ballad, etc.). Learning to work within the rules of these forms – and studying how countless different poets have made them their own over time – can strengthen your writing skills immensely, poetic and otherwise. 

In other words, don’t be shy with your inquiries – nothing is too “obscure.” If you’re not sure what interests you, that’s okay, too! All you need to do is reach out.

To connect with a creative writing coach on the Gilliam Writers Group faculty, we invite you to first schedule a free, 15-minute consultation call with a representative from our company’s leadership team.

During this phone call, we’ll guide you through a series of standardized questions about your background, experience, and goals, taking detailed notes on your responses. These notes will form the basis of your client brief – an internal document central to GWG’s client-coach matching process. The client brief ensures that we can help you find a poetry mentor who suits your particular needs and preferences. After answering any lingering questions, your representative will conclude the call and email you two important documents. 

First, you’ll receive our new client onboarding brochure, a PDF containing useful resources including a list of best practices, contact information for everyone on our leadership team, and the link to a feedback form you can submit at any point during your work with the Gilliam Writers Group. Second, you will receive a link to our service agreement (fillable online). We co-sign this form with all new clients to establish clear terms of engagement and, above all, to protect your interests – for example, to legally bind ourselves to nondisclosure. You can later dissolve this agreement at any time, for any reason, with just 24 hours’ notice.

Within 24 hours of your consultation call, your newly assigned writing coach will reach out via email and text to schedule your first session.

At this point, they’ll already have a clear sense of your background, needs, and preferred meeting schedule; it is our policy to always read a new client’s brief before making contact. This mitigates redundancy in GWG’s onboarding process; as you establish communication with your poetry coach, you won’t need to rehash the basics of your interest in online poetry lessons, for example, or the personality profile of your ideal poetry writing helper. Your coach will already be in the loop.

Our online writing coaching sessions take place on Zoom and Google Docs, and emphasize guided, real-time practice combined with immediate feedback.

The structure of your first session will depend largely on your particular needs and the discernment of your coach; there is no standard formula, though most such meetings are necessarily focused on gathering information, assessing the client’s writing and goals, and developing a plan of action. After your first session, we suggest that you and your coach agree on a regular weekly or biweekly (once every two weeks) meeting time and stick to it. Over the years, we have found that consistent weekly or biweekly sessions generate the clearest improvements in our clients’ writing and writing processes.

The Gilliam Writers Group is primarily an online company; however, if you’re interested in setting up in-person poetry classes near you, please contact us. In certain cases, we may be able to offer a poetry course in NYC, which is home to a large part of our community.

If you find that you and your writing coach aren’t a match, or you decide to work with other GWG faculty in the future, our leadership team can support you in choosing another poetry writing coach.

Before matching you with another faculty member, we will usually suggest that you first tell your writing coach as clearly as possible what you believe is missing in your work together. Open, honest dialogue is essential to the service we offer; all GWG coaches have strong interpersonal skills, but none of us can read minds.

If clear communication does not yield the hoped-for results, or you no longer want to work with your writing coach for any reason, just let our leadership team know. We’ll initiate a new, more streamlined client-coach matching process, supplementing your original client brief (the one created during your initial consultation call) with updated information to reflect both your progress and the reasons you are pausing work with your previous coach.